An excavator with L B Paving seems to have ruptured an old capped service access on a four-inch main line off Broadway Avenue in an alley north of Main Street.
A half block between Main St. and Queen Street was closed as crews from Pacific North Gas make their way from Terrace to deal with the rupture. No businesses have been closed, but an odour of the additive added to the odourless natural gas wafted through the area.
The street has since been re-opened and the gas turned off. PNG workers are visiting the 700 customers affected to relight furnaces. Senior communications advisor Sandra Semple said people need to be home for the workers to do their work today or tomorrow. Service representatives are working until 10 p.m. tonight and will be back at it at 6 a.m. Friday morning.
A ticket will be left on customers' doors if nobody is home with the call centre number 1-800-667-2297. The call centre is open until 10 p.m. The 24-hour emergency can be reached at 1-800-663-1173.
Vehicles parked nearby must have a PNG crew check with sensors to ensure the density of gas is not enough to cause a concern before being started.
The excavator was working on replacing asphalt in the alley when the rupture occurred according to a representative with L B Paving.